CHILD RIGHTS IN THE CONSTITUTIONS OF EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES:
Abstract
It is the principle of law that, each constitution overtly should recognise and protect the rights of the child as part of the fundamental human rights from the conception stage to the adulthood because the child is a vulnerable human being in the society; he needs special recognition and protection of his rights. However, the Constitutions of Rwanda and Tanzania do not expressly provide the rights of the child as it has been in Kenya and Uganda. The constitutions of Kenya and Uganda overtly recognise the child’s fundamental human rights and provide the need of its protection. In addition, the Constitutions should guarantee the child with necessary services such as education, medical treatment, nutritious food and any other necessary services to the child as important elements for his growth. Thus, this article scrutinises the child fundamental human rights as enshrined into the Constitutions of Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya Constitutions. However, Burundi despite is a part of the East African Countries but has not been covered in this work due to the reason that, the researcher was not in the position to access the English Constitution version as the original Burundi Constitution is written into French language.
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